VACC dealer vote is ‘crucial’

By John Mellor on 1st November 2018 Free Access Articles, Regulations Election, Pask, VACC, VADA

Sharon Pask

THE Victorian Automotive Dealers Association (VADA) could lose its seat on the executive board of the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) if dealers do not get out and vote for their candidate, Sharon Pask, in the current election, which opened on October 31 and closes on November 21.

The risk of losing their seat at the table follows a restructuring of the board. The election is special because of a change in the constitution this year to reduce the number of board members from 34 people to nine directors.

This means that not all of the 15 VACC divisions can be represented at board level, and dealers are worried that unless dealer members vote for Ms Pask, they will not be included in the key policy and support activities of the chamber.

It would be the first time in the VACC’s 100 years that a dealer was not on the executive board of the chamber.

Ms Pask, who has been in the car industry for 30 years and is CFO of Michael Beamish’s Driveco Group, was recently elected chairwoman of the VADA executive committee and nominated to stand as the VADA representative on the VACC executive board.

The Driveco group consists of Frankston Toyota, Cranbourne Toyota and Peninsula Skoda, as well as a Frankston light-commercial centre.

Ms Pask told GoAutoNews Premium: “It is very important that we have a new car dealer represented on that board.

“In the consolidation taking place in the VACC, dealers need to understand that they have to vote for their VADA representation, otherwise they will miss out on a place at the table because there are fewer seats on the board than there are divisions in the chamber.”

Ms Pask said that all the work the VACC was doing with the state government on crucial issues like stamp duty “will just not happen unless we get a seat on that board”.

“The new-car dealers play a massive role in Victoria because of the size of dealerships in their communities and the number of employees they have,” she said.

“Ignoring the ballot and failing to vote will mean these new-car-dealer-specific issues, and others, may go unheard by the VACC executive board.

“Ignoring the ballot and not voting will result in other industry sectors seizing control of what is an association that was formed by car dealers exactly 100 years ago this year.”

Ms Pask told GoAutoNews Premium: “If we don’t have someone representing the new car dealers, then our issues will not get the financial resources that they rightly deserve.

“If the dealers do not get enough votes, then the dealers will not be able to take their place on the board of nine. The divisions that get the most support get the nine places.”

The other VACC divisions represent different fields in the motor trade like the towing industry, body repairers and independent repairers.

Ms Pask said: “It is my charter to put VADA front and centre of the VACC Executive, where we will benefit from VACCs huge financial resources, connections and strength.

“Right now, VADA is working with the VACC to obtain a better position for dealers on the contentious Voluntary Disclosure process being imposed by the State Revenue Office. A process that could cost us millions.”

Ms Pask said that it was important for dealers who own multiple dealerships to vote with all of the multiple ballot papers they receive under their entitlement.

“If you own multiple dealerships, please advise those dealerships to be alert that the ballot papers will be arriving. It is important that the employee who is the VACC Nominated Chamber Representative completes the ballot paper with a vote for Sharon Pask,” she said.